The 2011 Molokai SUP race video and interviews by Robert Stehlik

I put together this 15 minute video about my experience and a recap of the 2011 Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard race.
There are some short excerpts of the three interviews I taped the evening before the race, to watch the full interviews, click on the links.  Featuring: Brian Szymanski, Jeff Denholm, and Gerry Lopez.



Robert Stehlik reporting live from the Molokai to Oahu race 2011.



I had the chance to catch up with the man behind the super fast Starboards race SUP's, Brian Szymanski on the evening before the Molokai to Oahu race on July 30, 2011. He talks about his shapes, downwind racing, and the Molokai race- good stuff!



Jeff Denholm is an inspiration, doing the Molokai race solo for the third time with a prosthetic arm paddle- very impressive, thanks Jeff!


Click this link for the Gerry Lopez interview post


Link to the complete Molokai race results

Link to a good article on muscle cramping

Aloha, Robert Stehlik

www.blueplanetsurf.com

Flatwater SUP speed test: the fastest unlimited Stand Up Boards

Last week Evan Leong and I had a chance to test Mark Raaphorst's S-16 Standamaran prototype that he was shipping to New York for a race with a stopover on Oahu.  I have been wanting to organize a speed test for SUP race boards for a while, so this was a good opportunity to comparison test unlimited boards in flatwater conditions.  Please check the spreadsheet for detailed results and watch the video for more information on the test.  Next up will be speed tests for 14' race boards and 12'6" race boards.  For manufacturers, please contact me if you have a board you would want to have included in future tests.

The S-16 standamaran came in a big wooden crate.

It looks like something Batman would paddle if he was into SUP, although his would probably be all black.

Flatwater speed comparison test of these 6 unlimited SUP race boards:


Listed in order from fastest to slowest in test results:

18' x 25" Ohana
17'6" x 25 1/8" Dennis Pang
16' x 28.5" Standamaran SIC S-16
17'4" x 26 1/2" SIC Bullet
18' x 26"   Bark
17' x 26 3/4" Naish Glide

distance .21 miles, 

Est. wind speed= 5 to 15 knots


test pilots:

Jared Vargas

Anders Jonsson

Robert Stehlik

For the spreadsheet with test results, click on this link:

Spreadsheet with test times and results

Please watch the video with voiceover for more information on the test

Related posts:
Is lighter really faster? Weight comparison test
Unlimited race board comparison- planing vs. displacement hulls
See the discussion of this test on the Standupzone

Notes: I realize more runs are needed to get meaningful data.  We will also try to include more data, like board weight, price (I like the idea of speed per $), board photos from different perspectives (outline, rockerline) in future tests.  We originally planned to do two rounds of testing but ran out of steam after doing 12 sprints, so it will help to have more paddlers next time. Run 1 times were with the wind and Run 2 times are going back upwind, so that's why Run 2 times are slower. Regarding which boards we are used to, these boards are usually used/ owned by: Jared: Ohana Anders: Bark Robert: Pang Here are some of my thoughts: I expected the standamaran to do well upwind with the smooth entry but in the test it did not compare well in the upwind legs.  Why?  I'm not sure but my theory is that the wakes coming from both tips and intersecting at the center of the board create a wave that adds drag at higher speeds and limits the top speed.  Going into the wind the small chops might exaggerate  this effect.  I'm not sure though, just a theory. At normal speeds (not sprinting)  the standamaran seems to have very low friction and it takes very little to maintain a speed of around 5 mph. All the boards have pros and cons and which board will be fastest depends on the paddler and the conditions.   So why were some boards faster than others?  There are so many variables and to try narrow it down to just the width is just not realistic even if the numbers seem to indicate that.  I have tested two 12'6 prototypes with identical length and width with the main difference being the rocker and entry and the board with more rocker was actually faster and had a cleaner entry.   Regarding length, I know that most 14' boards are significantly faster than most 12'6 boards and that most unlimited boards are faster than 14' boards but at some point (over 16' it seems to me) adding more length does not always translate into more speed. Shaping a fast race board is more art than science, I think. Paddler weight is important too, as the same board will have a different entry and exit depending on the weight of the rider, so the rocker line and volume have to match the rider weight

I also want to stress that this was a flatwater test that only compares speed in very limited conditions.  In open ocean races many other factors come in, including stability and I just want to point out that the 17' Naish board, which came in slowest in our test has a great track record with many wins in downwind races.

Aloha, Robert Stehlik


www.blueplanetsurf.com

Fine Tuning the Rudder on a SUP

I like racing on unlimited boards with rudders.   The rudder makes these long, straight tracking boards surprisingly nimble and fun in the bumps.  I avoid using the rudder when trying to catch a bump as it creates extra drag.  Once planing on the bump though, using the rudder can help to follow the bumps or change direction without noticeably slowing the glide.  You can step back with one foot to lift the nose of the board while keeping the front foot on the rudder.  On steeper bumps you want to step further back with both feet off the rudder to reduce the wetted surface and allow higher speeds.   With both feet off the rudder, you can surf the bump off the tail by using the rails like when surfing.  When the front foot is off the rudder, it goes to "neutral",  the straight position that the rudder is supposed to return to when the pedal is released.  To minimize drag from steering, the rudder should be in "neutral" most of the time with most steering being small adjustments from the straight position.  Doing a downwinder on an unlimited board with the rudder not straight in neutral is awful, it's like trying to play nice music on a guitar that's out of tune.  I'm surprised how many people suffer through downwind runs on boards that cost thousands of dollars with their rudder systems completely out of tune, or worse, dropping out of a race because their screws got loose ;) (I won't mention any names here).
If you live on Oahu and would like to have your rudder system tuned professionally, bring it to Blue Planet Surf Shop, for everyone else here is a do it yourself guide to fine tuning your rudder system.  The pictures are of a SIC Bullet that my friend Evan Leong (standuppaddlesurf.net) is kindly letting me use in a race tomorrow.  The basic concept can be used on any board, all rudder systems allow for a way to adjust and fix the neutral position.

Guide to tuning the rudder system


The SIC ASS system (Advanced Steering System) is notorious for the adjustment screws getting loose and out of tune.  I don't like to tune the rudder on a regular basis, so I put some loctite (red) on the screws before making the adjustments for a semi-permanent fixed setting that should not get loose or need any more adjustments for at least a season or longer.  While you are at it, also put loctite on the screw in the center that holds down the pedal, I have heard of those coming loose as well.

Cable tension
The cables should be snug but not overtightened.

This picture shows about the correct amount of tension, you should be able to pull the cables together an inch or so, if you can pull more, the cable tension is too loose, which makes the steering sloppy.  Tighter cables will make the system more responsive but if they are too tight the tension can put too much strain on the system.  You want to avoid having loose parts or play in the system.

Lining up the Rudder

A friend asked me how I can tell if the rudder is really straight.  It takes a good eye to line up the curved sides of the rudder with the curved bottom of the board.  You can line up the tail or nose of the board with the rudder and see if it slants to one side or the other.  If you don't have that eagle eye, it helps to have a center line reference to line up the back tip of the rudder with.  

Because this board does not have a visible centerline, I used a floodlight and lined up the board so the shadow of the fin made a centerline on the board.

I then centered the back tip of the rudder in the shadow, playing around with the tension until I have a good amount of tension with the rudder perfectly straight in neutral.  Wiggle the rudder back and forth and make sure it keeps returning to neutral.  If it gets stuck in different settings you should check if all parts move smoothly without getting stuck and/or create more tension pulling the rudder into the neutral position.  The SIC system uses a fiberglass batten, other systems use rubber bands that may need to be tightened or replaced to pull the rudder into the neutral position.

Let the Loctite cure overnight, then get on the water  and most importantly, have FUN.

Aloha,
Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com

The fastest SUP race board comparison- planing vs. displacement hull by Robert Stehlik and Jeff Chang

Watch the video (filmed in 2015, 5 years after this was first posted):

This is an edited version of a board comparison first posted in January 2010.  

On a mission to find the fastest SUP race board shape

Planing vs. Displacement hulls- a SUP race board comparison written by Robert Stehlik (Blue Planet Surf) and Jeff Chang (Wet Feet) for Zen Waterman
When I first started paddling racing boards, the equipment was not as important as the technique and fitness level. I had a fast board, a 14' C4 Waterman Vortice XP and I kept going faster by practicing and improving my technique and endurance. While going on Hawaii Kai runs with Todd Bradley, Dave Parmenter and Greg Pavao, who were all riding the same board as me and going much faster, it made me realize that I had plenty of room to improve. It was me, not the board, that was slow. Getting a good, proven stock race board is a good way to get started in SUP racing. Most races have 12'6 or 14' stock divisions and you can be competitive in the class without getting caught up in the "arms race" in the unlimited division. The size and price of a stock board is also more manageable.

With that said, as I got better, I noticed that guys on longer, unlimited boards with rudders were going faster and at some point I realized that if I wanted to be one of the fastest racers, I also need to be on one of the fastest boards. Since then, I have been trying many different boards and designs in search of the fastest one and want to share some of the things I have learned.

My friend and training partner Jeff Chang and I had the chance to test and compare several SUP race boards. As Jeff and I train together regularly, switching back and forth with each other gives us a good indication of how fast we are going. Last week, we compared two new 12'6" stock race models that will be available as production boards next year and we can't report about yet.

SUP race boards- Unlimited displacement vs. planing hull

This week, we had a chance to compare two unlimited class raceboards. We compared a Sandwich Isles Composites (SIC) custom Starboards prototype shaped by Mark Raaphorst, and a 17'6" Dennis Pang race board that Guy Pere, Kamaki Worthington, Aaron Napoleon and myself have all won races on. I wrote about this board before in the Coast Guard race recap.

Dennis Pang (left) and SIC race board decks

The custom SIC/ Starboard board on the right is a planing hull with a flat bottom and sharp edges in the back and hard tucked under edges. It's quite wide and stable.

The Dennis Pang board is more of a displacement hull with a piercing bow and rounded rails in the nose and tail. The mid section has a slight double concave with soft tucked under edges. This board is only 25 1/8" wide with a flat area of 22 1/4".

We launched in Hawaii Kai and I took some pictures as Jeff passes me on the Dennis Pang board.

Doug Locke was on a 14' Naish Glide and Darin Kohara was on a SIC F-14.It was pretty windy and I was confident I would catch up to them on the SIC, but it was not as easy as I expected. The board felt like it was pushing water and I had a hard time catching the short, disorganized bumps. I paddled as hard as I could, but did not get closer to Doug and Jeff, who seemed to be having a blast connecting the bumps. To be fair, I have been riding displacement hulls for a while and have never ridden a planing hull over 14', so I had to get used to it. I know that some of the fastest guys are on this kind of board, so I made up my mind to figure out how to make this thing go. As we got further out, the bumps got bigger and more defined. I figured out that the board needed to go from bump to bump to maintain speed and that I needed to move my weight back quickly to pick up speed on a bump. I started getting used to the board and began to tap into some of its potential.

My understanding of the theory behind planing vs. displacement hulls is that a planing hull is slower at low speeds but once it starts to plane at higher speeds, it lifts out of the water and reduces the wetted surface, lowering friction and allowing higher top speeds. In comparison, a displacement hull uses a long waterline and smooth water entry and exit to allow for less drag at low speeds. You can get a displacement hull on a plane but the top speed is limited by water wrapping around the rounded edges versus the flat bottom and hard edges of a planing hull that allow a clean release, more lift, less drag, and higher top speed.

After getting half way to Black Point, Jeff and I switched boards and I got on the Dennis Pang board I was used to riding. The board felt very tippy coming off the stable SIC board and it took me a moment to adjust to it. When I finally got into the groove, I was catching every little bump with little effort. This board just feels slippery through the water; hard to put into words.

Jeff on the SIC catches a runner. Note how he moves the right foot back to lift the front of the board up.

Doug Locke is the master at catching and surfing bumps. He has tried many boards, too and really enjoys the 14' Naish Glide.

Jeff catching a swell coming into Waikiki

We finished at the Elk's club

Day two: We took the boards for another run the next day.

The SIC rudder system (ASS- Advanced Steering System) is comfortable and is easily controlled by the toes.

The wind was strong and the board was catching bumps without even paddling.
We had a big group of stand up and prone paddlers starting at the blinker buoy.
The second run on the SIC board went better. I was able to keep up with the fastest guys and I really started to feel the board's strengths, namely:
It's fast on the bumps and it maintains a high speed when connecting bumps.
Stable deck and thick rails, barely ever had water running over my feet.
Easy to control, especially when riding bumps and easier to ride swells at an angle or "down the line" at angles where the displacement hulls tend to roll and slow down. I figure this is a big advantage in the Molokai race where you are quartering the wind and swells for most of the race.

Jeff's truck with seven boards and paddlers ready to shuttle back to Hawaii Kai.

Board test day 3: On the third day we added a third board to the test: Jeff Chang's Bark board that he used in the Molokai race (the black one on the right)

Jeff's board is a displacement type hull, similar to the Dennis Pang board but at 26 1/2" wide is about 1 1/2" wider and more stable. It also has more rocker and cable rudder system that runs underneath the deck, like on the SIC. The Dennis Pang board has a fiberglass batten running down the deck that controls the rudder.

Jeff's BARK has a "knifey" piercing nose and tail with a double concave in the middle and rounded rails.

Launching in Hawaii Kai.

The crew at the blinker buoy.

The wind was light and the bumps were small, but it was great to get out on another beautiful day in Hawaii. This was the shortest day of the year and this picture made me realize how lucky we are to be paddling under rainbows when most people in the northern hemisphere are stuck indoors.
I rode Jeff's Bark the first half of the run and immediately felt comfortable on it. The board was predictable, fast, and fun to paddle. It felt lighter and more nimble than the 18' Bark board I own and paddled on in the Molokai race (see my previous post).

I am always impressed by how smooth the water entry and exit is on all the Bark boards I have tried. In flat water, the amount of turbulence created where the bow enters the water and the turbulence behind the tail is a direct indicator of how much friction the board has through the water. The less the water gets disturbed, the faster you go. Some boards slice through the water so smoothly that you don't feel like you are going fast- that's what you want. Joe Bark seems to have a special skill for making the water go under and around the board with minimal disturbance and drag. I have noticed that many of the shapers that make the fastest unlimited boards have been making and experimenting with racing boards (prone paddleboards and windsurf boards in particular) for many years and can draw from that experience to make the fastest hull shapes.

While a piercing bow with a "v" in the water entry area seems to be fastest in flat water, a flat bottom where the water enters gives more lift in the nose and is easier to control when riding the bumps. The wide flat water entry area of the SIC generates plenty of lift and is easy to control, but also feels like it is "pushing water" at lower speeds, while the Pang board is a compromise. When I switched to the Pang board, I had to get used to the tippyness again but once adjusted, I felt like the narrower board had less resistance through the water. The Pang board transitions from a piercing nose to a flat section where the water enters. This makes the bow "splashy" in flat water, not as smooth as the Bark, but also seems to make it easier to steer in bumps and it felt like I did not have to work as hard to catch and stay on the bumps. Out of all the boards I have tried so far, the Dennis Pang board is still my favorite for coastal runs and races, which is not to say that it would work well in the Molokai race (too tippy) or in a flat water race (water entry not as smooth). For those conditions I would probably choose the SIC board and the Bark, respectively.

That summarizes my input.

Here is what Jeff Chang (Wet Feet) has to say about the three boards:

Here are my impressions for the various performance aspects observations from paddling next to you. This is a good gauge because you are faster than me:

Overall speed:

In flat water is seems the Bark is fastest, Pang second and the SIC third.  This is easiest to measure.

In moderate winds it seems the Pang is fastest, the Bark second and the SIC third. For me the Pang is faster because is seems to miss less of the bumps, especially the smaller ones. It seems easiest to catch everything. It felt like the Bark and SIC missed more bumps and I could feel more often stalling on the backside of the bump and needing to wait for the next one.  But also it seemed like once you caught a bump the Bark and SIC glided further.  The SIC especially so if the bump was big.  So overall if feels like the Pang catches more bump and maintains the speed better but I got longer rides with the Bark and SIC.  I think a lot depends on the paddler too.  For example, someone like SIC with a lot of strength might be able to make a board like his go faster (or Scott Gamble on his Bark) than I could and could close the speed gap between the three or even make his go faster than the others.

Stability:

SIC most stable, Bark second and Pang third.  Although the Pang was not overly tipsy and was easy to recover on.  During the HK run I don't fall atall using the Pang so the design is reasonably user friendly.  But others have commented that at 25" wide the Pang is hard to balance on and if you cannot balance then you cannot put full paddle power into your stroke.

Paddling Effort:

Pang easiest, Bark medium, SIC most effort.  Again you need to be able to balance on the board to be able to power it properly.


Handling:

The SIC board is very stable with a lot of volume and feels like a boat. I can see this being very good for Molokai where if you need to you could just cruise and not have to concentrate on balancing.  The planing type back would also be good for turning the board to windward and trimming on a bump which is critical for the channel.  I think a board like this would be my choice for the channel.

The Bark is very stable and user friendly but a little more nimble than the SIC and is good all around since in goes fast in flat water.   This is a good Oahu board and is good for the HK run since the start and end are in flat water and the board catches bumps well.  It would also be my choice for a North Shore race.  The double concave bottom and pronounced spine down the middle seems to give it a lot of drive and might explain the longer rides. I rode this board at the last Molokai and at times it would have been nice to have had a more stable board but then this board is light and easy to paddle so hard to say if I would have gone faster on a more stable board.  Its always a tradeoff.  I was very happy with my Molokai time on this board and felt good at the end so after all is said and done maybe a more stable board might have been more comfortable but also might have been slower.

The Pang feels fast and slippery in the water.  For me this board was the fastest and most fun to paddle because it seems to catch the most bumps and maintain speed although you don't get those really long rides where you feel like you are surfing.  But in a race it seems catching all those little ones and maintaining speed is faster than those longer rides which happen less often.  This might be explained by the more subtle concave bottom and flatter more neutral entry just behind the piercing nose.  I think that is what gives it that controllable feel dropping into the bumps and ability to push into the next one.

Thanks for reading, Aloha!

Updates:

9/28/2012:

Since this post was written in January 2010, Jeff Chang had Dennis Pang shape him a copy of the board in this comparison and had it glassed very light with carbon.  He installed a cable rudder system and has been winning many races with this board over the last few years.  For pictures of his board and the rudder system, visit this Molokai training post.

I (Robert), have gotten used to riding planing hulls and now prefer to use them in downwind conditions.  I have been using a 17'4" SIC Bullet or the 14' x 28" Blue Planet Bump Rider that I designed specifically for downwind races.  No longer happy just using boards created by others, I started using computer aided design to shape race boards in 2011.  This has allowed us to make incremental improvements to the shapes to make them faster and improve handling.

Robert Stehlik on the 14' x 28" Bump Rider

Race proven shapes:  Greg Pavao and Robert Stehlik won their age division and came in 3rd overall two man team at the 2013 Molokai to Oahu Race on the 14' x 28" Blue Planet Bump Rider model.  The planing hull design make it a fast and stable board in downwind conditions.

August 2014 update:

Jeff Chang finishes the 2014 Molokai race on the latest version of the 14' x 28" Blue Planet Bump Rider.  He not only finishes first in his age group but his time of 5:23 is also faster than all other paddlers over 50, including those on unlimited boards.  Well done Jeff!

The last few miles of the Molokai race are the toughest part.  Jeff Chang powering through the rough waters at Portlock point.  This is the ultimate test of his willpower, stamina, technique and equipment.

Jenn Lee paddled the 2014 Molokai race on a new 17'6 x 26" Blue Planet Unlimited board prototype, a planing hull shape optimized for open water racing.  She improved her personal record by over 45 minutes.

Related posts: SUP Weight test: is lighter really faster?

Unlimited SUP flatwater speed test

12'6" flatwater speed test

Blue Planet board construction information and factory tour video

Narrated Downwind coaching video

Molokai Race training video

Aloha,

Robert Stehlik

www.blueplanetsurf.com